Top 3 Privacy Focused Cryptocurrencies Popular Right Now

While Bitcoin might be the first and most recognizable cryptocurrency, thousands of alternatives do exist – and as new investors seek to buy cryptocurrencies and stake their claim in a bold and exciting new financial world, many have turned their attention to so-called ‘dark coins’ – cryptocurrencies with a focus on providing secure, private transactions. Thus you must know about the finest Privacy Focused Cryptocurrencies out there.

While Bitcoin is pseudonymous – providing transacting parties with the means to obscure their identity. The leading cryptocurrency is not perfectly anonymous. Meaning that it is possible to trace chain analysis tools and wallet identities to show exchanges of value between parties.

Subsequently, new alternative coins – or altcoins – have emerged in recent years that offer strong focus on anonymity. Ensuring that despite tough regulatory talk, the power for blockchain technology to bypass middlemen such as nation-states and other regulators might well continue unabated.

3 Best Privacy Focused Cryptocurrencies Popular Right Now

Monero

Originally made in 2014 as BitMonero, Monero is sometimes recognized as the most visible privacy coin.

Monero

Monero leverages the concept of ring confidential transactions. It is a means which essentially bundles together sending and recipient addresses and renders transaction flows opaque. Further, technologies such as ring signatures and stealth addresses can obscure both the sender and receiver in any given transaction.

For these reasons, Monero has quickly risen in popularity. And its focus on privacy has presented a strong focus on fungibility. You can buy it from any trusted exchange such as Bittrex, Coindirect or IQOption.

Dash

Digital Cash, or Dash, originally started life as DarkCoin is a privacy-focused effort. Today, Dash is one of the largest cryptocurrencies by its market capacity alone, which presently stands at some $2 billion USD.

Dash

Dash is unique in the sense that it provides both a transparent and ‘opaque’ method of transaction. While Dash users can opt to issue Instant transactions which are recorded on a blockchain similarly to how the Bitcoin blockchain functions, CoinInsider explains that transacting parties can also use its PrivateSend feature, which uses a decentralized ‘mixing’ service.

Essentially, this enables three or more participants to pool their funds. Leaving any intended transaction obfuscated. The cryptocurrency has its limits. however, and at present only allows 1,000 DASH are permissible per PrivateSend transaction.

Zcash

In a somewhat alternative approach to the protocols leveraged by Dash and Monero, Zcash has risen to fame for its use of ‘zero-knowledge proofs’.

Zcash

Fundamentally, this allows data recorded on a blockchain to serve as a private means of verification. The Zcash enables the encryption of both sender and recipient addresses alongside transaction amounts. Meaning that any analyst attempting to determine the origin, destination, and nature of a given transaction might well be stymied.

Importantly, Zcash does not obfuscate the IP addresses of its users. Meaning that Zcash cannot hide personal identifiers linked to public data.

Why Use Privacy Coins?

With increasing legal scrutiny surrounding cryptocurrencies. Which has specifically seen many nations plan to implement tax laws upon cryptocurrency transactions. Many believers in blockchain technology have begun to turn to privacy coins as a means to escape observation.

While this can naturally have the implication of fueling illicit activities on the internet, Privacy Focused Cryptocurrencies offer a means for regular consumers. To privately purchase goods or services while retaining control of their own financial information – a key promise that underpinned the introduction of cryptocurrencies from the inception of the Bitcoin white paper.